Good to see you back for part twelve of my HârnMaster Kèthîra solo roleplaying campaign. We are still in Chélemby and Fâlva is still missing. But one thing is certain: this is a job for the Mythic Mystery Matrix again. *dramaticmusicplaying* I think that this time I was more open to how the mystery plays out as in the first usage where Essryd searched for the murder of her family.
Always when I use a subsystem, I’m scared that the system does not work the way I expect it to … or, and that is the more realistic scenario: I fail completely due to dangerous sciolism and the indignation to read rules a second time. What can possibly go wrong? Fâlva to the rescue … 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Thunderbird are Go!
Scene #36 – Where in the world is Fâlva al Ekàtriása?
24 Nólus 720 TR
With a shared sense of urgency, Essryd and Moire meticulously scour Fâlva’s workshop, seeking any trace or cryptic hint that might elucidate her fate. Their diligent search is momentarily interrupted by a curious onlooker—a woman standing at the street’s edge.
Essryd steps forward, her voice laden with the gravity of their concern as she inquires about observations. The woman, hesitant yet forthcoming, recounts seeing men armed with unusual weapons entering the premises early that morning. Her prudence in avoiding direct intervention, given the area’s reputation, underscores a cautious pragmatism.
Essryd’s impatience subtly surfaces as she presses for further details; the woman confirms recognition of one individual and connects him to a notorious harbor official known for corruptiob. As city guards intrude upon their investigation, Essryd and Moire swiftly brief them on discovering Fâlva’s abduction-like absence amidst the wreckage.
While the guards commence their inspection, Essryd pivots back to the woman with unwavering focus, extracting the official’s name—Óddvâr al Kâmpèn—as the pivotal thread in this emerging mystery. With gratitude exchanged, she and Moire set forth towards the harbor.
With the urgency of their quest heightened by recent revelations, Essryd deftly engages one of the streetwise children ubiquitous to any harbor’s edge. Offering a shiny penny as bait, she queries for Óddvâr al Kâmpèn’s whereabouts.
The child’s initially skeptical gaze transforms into gleeful compliance with the promise of reward. A grubby finger extends with confidence, directing them towards a warehouse at the southern end of the quay—a new focal point in their pursuit of Fâlva and the enigmatic official suspected to be behind her disappearance.
Essryd and Moire exchange resolute nods, their path now clear yet laden with uncertainty. Each step closer to Óddvâr’s domain deepens the stakes, propelling them through the labyrinthine harbor towards a confrontation that promises answers—if not resistance or danger. The child’s gesture, simple as it appears, lights a guiding beacon in their otherwise shadowed quest.
As they approach the harbor warehouse with cautious resolve, Essryd and Moire conduct an external inspection of their surroundings. Their keen eyes notice a dilapidated vehicle on one side.
Essryd’s scrutiny uncovers a distinctive sign: dried residue on the wooden boards beneath the vehicle. With a deft touch, she identifies it as ink, a revelation that suggests Fâlva might have left a deliberate trail using one of his cartographic tools.
This epiphany is abruptly cut short by Moire’s urgent grip and her loudly expressed anticipation for an evening meeting—a ruse to draw attention away from their discovery. Two men, oblivious yet perceptive, move towards the warehouse, now casting wary shadows over Essryd and Moire’s clandestine investigation.
In that charged moment, their quick thinking pivots between caution and continued pursuit of Fâlva’s lead.
In the face of nature’s intervention—the relentless rain transforming the city’s streets into a blur—Essryd and Moire return with determined resolve to Fâlva’s workshop alleyway, their only tangible lead now obscured. The ground, drenched by persistent showers, renders their ink trace nearly invisible.
Undeterred, Essryd’s keen eye captures the faintest hint of direction, a tenuous thread guiding them anew towards the harbor warehouse. Evening shadows lengthen as they recalibrate their approach; discretion becomes paramount in penetrating Óddvâr’s domain.
As dusk descends, cloaking the city in twilight, the two women position themselves strategically outside the two-story structure. An open window at the first floor catches Essryd’s discerning gaze—a potential entry point obscured by the encroaching dark, offering both opportunity and concealment.
Scene #37 – Flour and butter, cream and sugar …
25 Nólus 720 TR
With practiced agility, Essryd ascends the warehouse wall using crates as her footholds. Reaching the open window, she slips inside with a fluid motion—her presence marked by only the faintest whisper of movement.
Within, male voices engage in a guarded conversation, their words slicing through the dim interior air like an unspoken threat. Essryd’s ears strain, catching fragments: a mention of standing watch somewhere around Chélemby and, crucially, Fâlva’s name. The captors’ directives reveal confusion yet a clear imperative from their employer to maintain her confinement, underscoring a deeper mystery surrounding her detention.
Caught between urgency and caution, Essryd waits for additional clues about Fâlva’s precise location. A reference to the Redâro Mill at Mølè Samkôrè emerges—a lifeline amidst the shadows. The imminent departure of guards for the change of duty provides both a window and a warning; time is now their most precious ally.
Slipping back into the protective embrace of darkness, Essryd cautiously re-emerges through the window, her movements synchronized with the night’s veil. Confident in Moire’s adeptness to remain hidden, she descends the wall with newfound direction—each step a calculated stride towards liberating Fâlva from the enigmatic grasp of Chélemby and the machinations at Redâro Mill.
Essryd briefs Moire on her clandestine discoveries, their resolve fortified by the revelation of Fâlva’s potential location at Redâro Mill. They move swiftly, navigating Chélemby’s labyrinth to the northern gate—their target now sharply defined in the distance.
As they reach Hýzel Gâdè and near the gate, Essryd’s keen senses detect a familiar sound: the gentle murmur of a nearby creek. This natural path becomes their covert ally as it leads directly towards the mill, just a stone’s throw from the city walls.
Employing the dense vegetation along the waterway for concealment, they advance stealthily. Essryd’s tactical mind guides them to approach via a small bridge—an inconspicuous route offering proximity and cover. The Mill looms ahead, its wooden structure and the faint glow within hinting at guarded secrets held behind its weathered doors.
In the tense silence of their approach, Essryd and Moire navigate through the creek’s watery pathway, its gentle tumult masking their footsteps as they bypass the vigilant guards stationed on the bridge. The mill wheel’s idling hum provides an additional veil, allowing them to slip unnoticed into the shadows at the building’s rear.
Essryd signals Moire to maintain her position while she swiftly scales the external staircase, each step a calculated risk. As the creak of one board betrays her presence, Essryd halts, poised and listening intently. From within, a voice questions the disturbance—a fleeting moment charged with potential exposure.
With quiet determination, she ascends the remaining stairs and melds into the shadows as a guard emerges to investigate.
Moire’s swift action seals their advantage—an opportunistic strike with a sturdy timber silences the guard before he can raise an alarm. Essryd breathes a sigh of relief and moves swiftly to Moire’s side, employing ingenuity and haste to secure their captive. Ripping strips from his own garments, she crafts makeshift restraints, binding him securely and muffling any potential outcry.
With cautious precision, Essryd navigates the door into the second-floor interior, her movements a whisper against the backdrop of flickering oil lamps casting long shadows. Once inside, she holds the door ajar for Moire’s silent entrance, their presence now cloaked within the mill’s dimly lit confines.
A brief survey through the internal staircase reveals two guards stationed below, their vigilance trained upon Fâlva—bound but visibly unharmed, a sight that sparks a flicker of relieved resolve in Essryd.
Perched at the railing, Essryd’s keen eyes assess the lower floor, her strategy sharpened by necessity. The guards remain obliviously stationed beneath—a tableau ripe for distraction.
With silent coordination, both women lift hefty sacks of flour. In a synchronised release, they send the burdens tumbling down upon the unsuspecting guards below—an eruption of white powder muffling thuds and cries alike. The ensuing silence speaks volumes: their plan has found its mark.
Confident in their success, Essryd and Moire descend with measured grace, their footsteps light against the wooden stairs leading them to Fâlva’s side. With deft precision, Essryd cuts through her restraints—a liberation marked by palpable relief as Fâlva’s bonds fall away. Their reunion is brief but steeped in unspoken gratitude.
With their objective achieved and the immediate threat neutralized, Essryd leads Fâlva and Moire away from the mill’s shadowy embrace, crossing the creek to a safer vantage on its opposite side.
Essryd’s caution is prudent; she voices her concern for Fâlva’s safety, suggesting a temporary refuge at the Newgate Inn—a haven where immediate dangers can be evaded and plans solidified. This proposal finds receptive ears in both Moire and an understandably wary Fâlva, whose trust now anchors their collective resolve.
Agreement reached, they move with haste yet care, navigating the night’s cloak back towards Chélemby’s comforting anonymity within its walls—an oasis where dawn might bring clarity and justice. The Newgate Inn becomes a sanctuary for strategy, a temporary respite before engaging the city’s official apparatus in the morning light.
Scene #38 – Come for the view, stay for the map
26 Nólus 720 TR
As the first light of morning breaks over Chélemby, Essryd, Moire, and Fâlva make their resolute way towards the city watch’s office in the Téstradhem within the heart Vandlåge—a place symbolizing official justice. The air carries a mix of anticipation and determination as they prepare to lay bare the truth of Fâlva’s ordeal.
In the dimly lit confines of the office, Fâlva’s recounting unfolds with a blend of intellectual fervor and palpable relief. She explains her recent encounter—a navigational revelation from a seafaring acquaintance promising a new maritime route poised to benefit Chélemby’s famed trade prowess. Her dedication to updating vital maps stems not from personal gain, but a noble intent to enrich the kingdom’s economic landscape.
However, Fâlva’s altruism was met with malevolent calculation by Óddvâr al Kampen, whose avarice sought to monopolize this strategic maritime knowledge. His machinations led to her abduction—a ruthless attempt to silence and control information that could reshape trade routes for generations.
Her articulate testimony serves as a clarion call, demanding not only justice but a reassertion of the principles upon which Chélemby’s prosperity is built: openness, collaboration, and the collective good.
As Fâlva’s compelling narrative reaches its denouement, the city watch officials weigh her words with the gravity they deserve. The evidence she presents—her professional integrity juxtaposed against Óddvâr al Kampen’s clandestine machinations—forms an irrefutable case of betrayal and subversion.
The guards, guided by a sense of duty to their city’s welfare and the broader interests of the kingdom, reach a decisive conclusion: sufficient grounds exist to incarcerate Óddvâr. His actions not only threaten personal well-being but undermine national economic stability—a breach that cannot be ignored under the banner of justice and integrity.
Thus, with formal proceedings set in motion, Essryd, Moire, and Fâlva witness the commencement of legal action against Óddvâr al Kampen.
Fâlva’s relief at having her ordeal addressed is palpable, and in gratitude, she extends an offer of recompense—a new map, meticulously detailed, a testament to her expertise and appreciation. While acknowledging the destruction wrought by Óddvâr’s henchmen, she commits to recreating her invaluable charts, promising they would be among the most precise available within Venârivè.
Essryd and Moire, having felt the weight of uncertainty since their escape from Nurien, seize this opportunity to savor a semblance of safety. Their decision to extend their stay in Chélemby—taking respite at the Newgate Inn for an indefinite period—is born not just out of necessity but a newfound desire to immerse themselves fully into this burgeoning city.
To be continued …
Phew, that was a close call. I’m really looking forward to the map Fâlva produces … and in reality I bought the Venârivè map from Keléstia Productions Ltd. with the updated grayscale elevation data.
And while we are at it … I love Chélemby! I got all relevant information from my friend and GM who is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to said region. We once played a small campaign there and had a blast. I think that it is time to get the publications myself and dig deeper into it.
Now that Essryd and Moire have to wait for the map to be finished, I decided to use the time and let them learn a new language to minimize the language barrier … and I have a cute little extra up my sleeve, but more on that next time.
See you then, bye!
Sources used:
– HârnMaster Kèthîra (Keléstia Productions Ltd.)
– My GM who knows Chélemby like the back of his own hand and provided me with sufficient information.
– Lyonesse Core Rulebook (The Design Mechanism)
– The Adventure Crafter (Word Mill Games)
– Mythic GME 2nd Edition (Word Mill Games)
